The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-08-21
THE MISSIONARIES OF TRADE
The Commercial Tourists Growth in
Importance in the Business World.
How They Have Made Themselves Men of Con-
sequenee-Six Hundred Of Them That
Call indianapolis Their Home.


side of the professions of preaching, teaching,
physic and the law, is that of the commercial
traveller. In general information and knowledge
of the world it is perhaps hardly just or accu-
rate to place these quick, bright, ready and in
telgent tourists below either of the professions
named. for the diverse accomplishments of the
commercial traveller make him the equal. often
the superior in the battle of life to the average
member of any of the four professions. The
American drummer" so-called because for
many years he was compelled to make a great
noise in the world in order to obtain proper rec
ognition, has at last been disco-ered to be per-
son of great consequence and is no longer re-
quired to sound his own trumpet. Books are
now written about him, dramas written in
which he is portrayed the all-suffcient hero,
and newspapers over the land cater for his sup
port and favor He figures largely the
humorous literature of the day. and no
joke, however good it may appear to
be, has a0 show of general dis
semnation unless it meets with his appreciation
and is furnished by him with mileage ticket
to travel up and down the great thoroughfares
of the land. The commercial traveller is the
missionary of trade and his visits to the
little towns and hamlets the country
put briskness and flavor in the COM
munities so favored that refresh
ing as the air that follows a shower at
tended by liberal allowance of lightning The
commercial traveller takes with him wherever
he goes the ozone of public sentiment as. aside
from the badinage that lighteus his matter-of-
fact dealings with his customers, he is thorough
y informed on all matters of interest to the well
fare of the country and is patriot through and
through. In the West ninety per cent. of these
tourists Republicans and in the East the per-
centage of political right is hardly less
Over 600 travelling men call Indianapolis their
home. This being central point, many who
sell goods for far Eastern houses, and whose
tours are weeks and even months Ill length,
make this their headquarters. Some of these
find it difficult to get opportunity to vote Oft
ener than once four years, when, at presi-
Dental election. they come in and Cast their bal
lot for electors choose the chief executive of
nation whose growing greatness their business
gives them full opportunity to
The Comm ercial Travellers Association of In
diana is benevolent and protective organiZa
ton formed by these wanderers. who tempt &C.
cident and death every day of their lives, in
order that the loved ones at home may not be
wholly unprovided for when the bread winner is
gone. Itnow numbers 600 mem bers. and
of these 325 travel out from Indiana polis. This
organization pays s., 500 benefit st the death of
each member.
Perhaps the Oldest Indianapolis travelling man
now On the ROAD after many years or CONTINUOUS
service is Stephen b. Wilson. of the house of
Wiles. Coffin & Co.. and next to him comes VIM.
H. Wright, of SEVERN. Ostermeyer & Co.
Thomas G. Afford, of Nj. O'Conner q Co.. in the
earliest days of wholesaling in this city. used to
take an occasional trip upon country roads in
mud-wacons and worked through that period to
the days OF railroading. He now takes a trip of
a day two each week Among the oldest
travelling men, those who have the most
years of continuous service and yet ready
and valuable statesmen as ever. are Michael P.
will aft -
Bridges, with Murphy, Hibben q Co; Patrick
Mullaney, with Mullaney. Hayes q Co.; Aonzo
F. Scott with Holiwee q Reese; Charles
Thomas A. Dean, who. after trying a season of
bookkeeping in Chicago and showing to his
own and everybody eses satisfaction that he
could keep hotel. returns to the road as mana
ger of the cigar department OF A. Kiefer & Co;
Frank B. Taylor, with Daggett q Co; Philip
Hilde brand, with Hiidebrand & Fngate; kobt
II. Walden. with Layman, Carey & Co.; s. NJ
Shipp, known to al: the world and the rest of
mankind as Milt, with Hendrickson. LETTER q
Co.; Ben c. barrow, with Mckee d Bran ham;
Charles Rodman with NJ. OConnor q Co.;
Carey Mcpherson, with Syfers Mcbride & CO..
Charles d. Meigs, with the Bowen Stewart Com
panv, and who is somewhat celebrated as Christ
mas poet ii. g. Losse, now representing New
York house in teas and groceries, Moses I. Kelly,
with Svfers, Mcbride & Co.
What an encyclopedia of talent is here dis
closed, and yet these are but handful of the
six hundred-the gallant cohort that periodically
charges the obdurate tradesman here, there and
everywhere all along the line. and who frequent
ly, after selling him his goods, sits down and
discourses most entertainngy and convlncipglv
of the political outlook. In 1880 the commercial
travellers of Indiana took especial interest in
the presidential canvass About two hundred
of them. it will be remembered went from this
city and visited General Garfield at his
home at Mentor, shortly before the
election. General Garfield made
speech to the travellers in answer to a speech
made by the orator of the tourists, G. e. Web
ster, jr.. and expressions of mutual good will
and distinguished consideration were exchanged.
General Garfield could not conceal tho great
pleasure the visit had given him. and afterwards
expressed his surprise at the in ligence of the
visitors. affirming that it was the most intell.
geut delegation that had visited him. The work
of these tourists and their colleagues, it is known
had no little to do with securing success at the
elections of that year
There is fear that the American CONNER
ciai traveller, by the narrowing iron clad
rules of trade will in time be circumscribed in
his privileges and limited his duties so that he
will be little better than the commercial trav-
eler. cal I'D "bagman," Of Great Britain. The
bagman is mere machine. He travels with a
list Of customers and prices from which ne has
no authority to devlate, and a similar state of
affairs is coming here In time past the
country customer waited for his favorite Jim or
Bill or Sam to come with samples. And Jim.
Bill or Sam was secure in his customer KNOWING
that even were be delayed week ten days in
his visit the customer would faithfully wait for
him and give him his order The customer
buvs of the house that sells the closest. Au
thority has been taken away from the commercial
traveller by reason of indiscriminate cutting in
prices in which he has at times INDUCED, and
which has compelled his house to take from him
the power he formerly had to regulate prices
cording to the individual customer. Besides, the
travelling man used to fix the credits of custom
ers a matter the house attends to itself.
Many careful and conservative houses now insist
upon written statements of customers affairs.
They have blanks to be filed out setting forth
the customers Tor would be customersl indebt-
ness. his apparent and real worth This is
fled away with his signature for reference and.
when made with view to purchasing goods. if
false, may land the signer in the penitentiary,
uniess there are seven men on the jury of the
character of those who tried Coy and his friends
in the federal court
Some of Oscar WiIde's Stories.
Louise Chandler MouIton, in Boston Herald.
The mention of Oscar Wilde reminds me what
good stories he tells. He told two the other day
illustrative of the disadvantage of the houses
IN a block being too much alike A man
asked to dinner, and he went to the house the